2023 - The Ginger Quiff

Water Machine – Raw Liquid Power – EP review

September 17, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Water Machine are working their way into your psyche slowly but surely. So far they have completed various small steps on their journey to world domination, gigging their little hearts out and in doing so building a roots up solid base of fans in their home city of Glasgow. Then releasing the now sold out (too slow losers) S/T Demo Tape, featuring live favourites Water Machine, I Quit, Flowers and the song which drew me in to the music of the band in the first place, Hot Real Estate, to great acclaim, and following this up with the superb vinyl EP, Raw Liquid Power (more of which shortly).… Read the rest

Sacred Noise – EP1 – review

September 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

To my great joy and personal delectation, extraordinary Glasgow based quartet Sacred Noise have finally released their long awaited debut EP, cunningly titled EP1. Regular visitors to The Ginger Quiff blog will know that I hold the band in high regard having pretty much followed them since their inception, and had the pleasure in watching them grow both musically and in confidence having now seen them live countless times since their first gig back in March 2022.

Already with a string of quality singles behind them, in the shape of Taste in Men and Part of Me, alongside Radar and Silhouette (which both appear on EP1), the band, who have all honed their skills in other guises across the Glasgow scene, have cemented their place as one of the cities hot musical properties with the six stunning tracks on this superb self produced EP.… Read the rest

Scorpio Leisure – Give Us Some Space – single review

September 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Ramrock Records have given us a well-deserved re-release of the previously independent offering, the divinely hypnotic Give Us Some Space single from the supreme talents of what can only be described as post-punk supergroup in the form of the wonderful Scorpio Leisure. Taking their name from the now defunct and infamous Edinburgh “attraction”, the band’s live nucleus of drummer Russell Burn (The Fire Engines/Win), bassist extraordinaire Colin J Whitson (Gin Goblins/Boots for Dancing/Voicex), guitarists Mungo Carswell (The Solid Bond) and Ricky Maymi (Brain Jonestown Massacre) with the delectable Hettie Noir on simmering sultry vocals is bolstered on the single by further post-punk luminaries in the form of Malcolm Ross (Josef K/Orange Juice) and Gareth Sager (The Pop Group/Rip, Rig & Panic).… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2023 – Pt 7 – July & August

September 6, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Doubling up for this massive round-up, the last couple of months have disappeared in a flash… Loads of great new music from these summer months. As usual, where available, I’ve added the songs to an evil Spotify playlist for you to sample before you buy… support the artists by buying their music, and merchandise, if you like what you hear.

In no particular order, but kicking off here with the new single from the duo who have given me one of my most unique and unusual gig memories of the year, well, to be fair, probably my life…

The Courettes – Tough Like That

Returning to these shores for the second time this year, The Courettes are currently taking a break from recording their new album with a tour of England, and released a video for their Back in Mono B-Sides and Outtakes track, Tough Like That.… Read the rest

The Bucky Rage – Living in a Cult – album review

August 31, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Do you ever get the rage? Do you need a release for your pent-up frustrations? Then maybe it’s time you did something about it, and what better time than now to try Living in a Cult with The Bucky Rage.

If you’ve ever seen the band live, you’ll know they’ve got a reputation for anarchic chaos, taking to the stage in their luchador mascaras, with a resultant frenzied melee that leaves you in a state of confused bewilderment and elation, wondering just what it was that hit you. Pretty much the effect Living in a Cult will have on you too.… Read the rest

Escape-ism and Scorpio Leisure – live in Sneaky Petes

August 27, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

I have my cousin to thank for my trip through from Perth to Edinburgh for this gig, having introduced me to Ian Svenonius via the Nation From Ulysses album Plays Pretty for Baby , what now seems like aeons ago. To be fair, that’s only part of the reason for my trip to Festival City. I could have seen Escape-ism in my home city, however, the Sneaky Petes gig did have the added attraction of the mesmerising Scorpio Leisure as the opening act…for our audio pleasure.

Scorpio Leisure

If you’re still not au fait with the incredible Scorpio Leisure, my question for you is, what the fuck are you waiting for?… Read the rest

Bela and the Lugosis – Blinding Red Sunglow – album review

August 26, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Are you a fan of goth? Do you have a penchant for glam? Do you have a dark soul but an extravagant showy side? Do you still mourn the loss of Bowie and Bolan? Are you coming to terms with the Bauhaus boys finally calling it a day and hanging up their black clothes and guyliner?

Fear not, on their second album, Bela and the Lugosis are here to fill the void, providing the sounds to satiate that niche goth/glam yearning… This is the band Bowie and Co. may have become if he hadn’t broken up the band, if the Spiders had fallen to Earth and joined forces with the spider-man who was having Robert Smith for dinner. … Read the rest

Junk Pups – Interview and Live Review (The Hug and Pint 17th August ’23)

August 25, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

(All Photos Courtesy of Chris Hogge Photography)

Last week, Junk Pups played their second headline gig, this time at The Hug and Pint as part of the Endless Summer series of gigs. Having been meaning to do so for a long time, I finally managed to catch up with the band (and Angel!) after they’d sound-checked ahead of the gig.

The Ginger Quiff: So, just a bit of background first and foremost, how did the four of you get together as a band.

Jack: During the first lockdown I messaged Dylan, I knew Dylan from a thing we did in school called Behind the Noise, I knew they played bass, and I was just like.

… Read the rest

The Bluebells Anyone Could Be a Buzzcock single

VIDEO PREMIERE – The Bluebells – Anyone Could Be a Buzzcock

August 17, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Anyone Could be a Buzzcock is the new single taken from The Bluebells latest album, In the 21st Century, their first for over twenty years. The absorbing album from the legendary Glasgow icons has received great plaudits both by critics and old and new fans alike. The band go back to their roots on this energetic single, a welcome slice of first-wave-of-punk influenced nostalgia, inspired by the late, great Pete Shelley. The song is both a whole lot of fun and a great tribute to the Buzzcocks frontman, one of punks finest songwriters, and is accompanied by a suitably vibrant and colourful video from Glasgow artist, Jim Lambie.… Read the rest

Dark Places – a mini festival from The Filthy Tongues

August 13, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The inaugural, I say that in hope rather than having any specific knowledge of this being an annual occurrence, Dark Places festival was to my ears, a roaring success, a glorious celebration of music across a variety of genres, and from new bands to the more established (I was going to say young and old, but let’s say young at heart…)

Martha May and the Mondays

The job of opening the festival was handed to Martha May and the Mondays, a new band for me, part of the virtue of a festival like this, the opportunity to discover music new to you..… Read the rest